If you think McLarens and Bentleys have nothing in common with rescue dogs, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Brushing up on Aston Martin’s 2025 Vantage Model lineup isn’t Hesham Elgaghil’s only focus.
Emphasizing the importance of giving back to both his work team and his 12-year-old son, the president of Avondale Automotive Group recalled how his parents had done the same. “It was never about telling us how to give back — as long as we did it with understanding and compassion,” said Elgaghil, recalling his mom’s challenge to always put himself in the shoes of others and to “never let anyone be kinder than you.”
Avondale’s president Hesham Elgaghil unloads supplies from the To The Rescue puppy mobile. PHOTO: Tommy Habeeb
When animal rescue volunteers outgrew their vehicle, the luxury auto president followed his mom’s directive. Plastering bright red paws along its exterior, and outfitting its interior for optimal crate space, Avondale created the ultimate dog transport vehicle, now widely-known around town as the “Puppy Mobile” — it’s presence at the dealerships grabbing more attention than the Rolls-Royces parked inside the Pantheon doors.
“When the sprinter van pulls up, people absolutely love it,” said Elgaghil, as the only distraction able to steal the limelight from the Mercedes rescue van, Walter, jumped from his passenger seat perch to greet his adoring fans.
A couple years earlier, the Great Pyrenees rescue looked very different, described Avondale’s Beth Schneider, his physical condition grim and his mental state evident of maltreatment.
When the pup’s hollow eyes skeptically scanned his surroundings and his reticence overtook his hunger pangs, Ennis-based FreshPet stepped in to nourish Walter back to health.
As the pup’s physical health improved, so did his ability to accept care.
“He’s unrecognizable — he has learned what love is, how to trust, and what it means to be part of a family. With love, time, and patience, the transformation was magical,” said Schneider.
While Elgaghil loaded the final few boxes of FreshPet dog food from the van into the awaiting rescue vehicles, the 101-pound pooch never missed a cue as, ears perked, he jumped back into Schneider’s lap in the seat of the rescue van — his restored trust in humans evident in his relaxed demeanor.
As the pair jump out and headed for Walter’s water bowl, the red paws of the sprinter van take off to the next rescue.
“That’s the amazing thing about dogs; they’re so ready to forgive,” said Schneider.
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